Anderson stepping down

Upper Bann DUP MLA Sydney Anderson has confirmed he will not be seeking selection to be a candidate in the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly election.

He’s the second ‘faller’ of the campaign with Catherine Seeley of Sinn Fein saying she would not be seeking selection earlier this week.

Mr Anderson stated, “It was an immense honour and privilege to have been able to represent Upper Bann as an MLA for the last six and a half years. I have made the decision that I will not be seeking selection as a candidate in this upcoming Assembly election for personal reasons.

“Throughout my time at Stormont I have always tried my best to help my constituents on a wide range of issues and if I could help achieve positive outcomes for them I knew that I was making a difference in people’s lives.

“For me politics has always been about representing the views and needs of the community and being a strong advocate for them. This was an aim that I always sought to uphold to the best of my ability.

“It is vital that moving forward Upper Bann has strong DUP representation at Stormont and I have no doubt that the party will choose capable candidates for this upcoming election and they will have my 100% support. Northern Ireland requires strong unionist leadership and that can only be provided by the Democratic Unionist Party.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Upper Bann for the support and faith they have placed in me over the years. I also want to thank my wife, family, friends and colleagues for the tremendous support they gave to me during my time as an MLA. I am now looking forward to spending much more quality time with my family in the days that lie ahead.”